Electric Moon (14 page)

She shook her head at their actions and took a sip of her
drink. As the night grew late, the atmosphere became more graphic, the mood
darker and full of latent need. People vanished in the shadows or behind the
curtains with their partners, and she turned away, feeling like a prude.

Others weren’t so shy, all but performing for an audience. Then
she realized she probably wasn’t far off the mark. Their display was no worse
than what she and Taggert had done on the dance floor.

With Taggert and Jackson both touching her, the frantic need
surrounding the shifters didn’t penetrate their shield. She allowed herself to
relax and enjoy their company.

It wouldn’t last, though.

She had to find a way to survive without their help.

As she finished her third drink, she stood. Both Taggert and
Jackson rose as well. Humor tinged her words. “I’m just going to go to the restroom.
I think I can find it by myself.”

She slipped into the bathroom, grateful for a few minutes
alone. She finished quickly then went to the sink to splash water on her face.
It did little to cure the rising temperature from the club. By herself for the
first time in hours, she closed her eyes and luxuriated in the peace.

The animals seemed content to be around others like
themselves, with nary a peep from them. Even the electricity she carried was
docile, which she couldn’t help but be more than a little suspicious. Either
the creature kept it occupied or vice versa. Neither scenario was comforting. Delaying
as long as she could, Raven headed toward the door.

The hallway was shadowed, the light above the door too dim
to penetrate the gloom.

Something about the darkness kicked her senses into
overdrive.

Something was waiting for her.

She sent a light pulse through the air, aiming it at the inky
blackness. When her power hit a target, someone sucked in a harsh breath.

Shifter.

Male.

She couldn’t tell more without probing deeper and risking
discovery.

Reaching into her pocket, she fingered the stun gun in her
pocket and stepped out into the hall. Instead of fear, the need to hunt urged
her forward. Her eyes adjusted, and she saw the shadow shift.

By the time she pulled her stun gun free, he knocked it out
of her hand and was on her. She found herself pinned face first against the
wall, a hot shifter pressed against her back.

“More bombings are coming.”

Raven ceased struggling. His hold didn’t hurt, but her
animals didn’t care to be imprisoned. It was all she could do not to fight
free. She needed answers more. “Where? When?”

“Your boy, Griffin, knows more than he’s saying. You should
ask him.” His control wavered. Fear curdled the air around him for daring to
approach, much less lay hands on her.

Wildness spilled over her body like a splash of cold water. He
was a rogue. At the knowledge, things fell into place. “You followed me here to
warn me. Let me help you.”

His breath fanned her neck, a slight hesitation, as if he
hadn’t expected her offer. When leaned in closer, she braced to feel fangs pierce
her shoulder. Instead, she felt a brief caress of his tongue, almost paying
homage...or giving a pledge.

Then he was gone.

Raven whirled, but the hallway was empty. She inhaled, catching
an elusive dark scent. Then it, too, vanished. She scooped up the stun gun and pushed
out into the crowd, anxious to find any sign of him.

He could be the big break they needed on the case.

But she could detected nothing above the overpowering smell
of shifters and sex.

After a few minutes of cat and mouse, she conceded defeat.
She’d wandered further away from the table and Durant’s office than wise. A
hint of unease snuck up on her. She wove her way through the throng of people, taking
care not to brush against anyone.

Too bad the touchy-feely shifters didn’t take the hint.
After the third
accidental
touch, frustration reared its head. The electricity
around the club swept toward her, filling her core as if knowing she needed
protection.

An insidious taint of panic slithering through her.

She couldn’t lose control.

Not here.

Not now.

She coaxed the animals that normally prowled around her core
to wake.

Nothing.

Not even a brush of fur.

Damn contrary beasts.

As the current grew, she hastily built her shields. Each
time a shifter drew near, they bowed but held.

 “You.” She pointed toward a heavy built shifter, and one
who happened to be reaching to touch her upper arm. The young male gave a start
of surprise, his impressionable brown eyes flashing up toward hers. “See me to
my table.”

The dark-haired shifter lifted a brow then smiled in
delight. That smile faded when his gaze moved past her. All the shifters in the
area took a giant step back.

“How sweet, choosing a puppy to be your knight in shining
armor to rescue you from us scary shifters.” A bubble of caustic laughter
filled the air, eating away the good cheer of the shifters around her.

Raven turned slowly, pasting a smile on her face and acted
like everything was normal. She skimmed the entourage behind the woman,
assessing the threat. “Hello, Vivian. I see you have your six-pack of goons to
protect you from us little people.”

The smug smile tightened at the insult. Vivian leaned closer
and inhaled, tasting the air. “Your fear smells delicious.”

Raven mimicked Vivian, crowding closer until the woman was
practically leaning backwards to prevent them from breathing the same air. “Then
you might want to get out more often. That’s not fear you smell.” She lied
through her teeth, betting that Vivian couldn’t scent shit from her. She’d
practiced too hard to cover her scent in the labs. Even with her current
fighting her, it wasn’t something her body would forget.

A flicker of doubt entered Vivian’s eyes, and Raven pressed
her point home. “You haven’t asked about your son.” Raven tsked. “It’s a shame
that a mother can’t guarantee her own son’s welfare. But don’t worry, he’s safe
with me.”

Vivian’s eyes narrowed, rage darkening the brown to nearly
black. The smile she returned was all teeth. “What can I say? We hire the
best.” The woman crossed her arms, her barely there black dress pushed what was
intended to be elegant into slutty.

Gaudy jewelry practically dripped off her. She was on the
prowl.

“How is my son?” She glanced around, searching for him. “I
hope he hasn’t caused you too much trouble. The second you leave the boy alone,
he gets into fights.”    

Malicious intent hung in the air. Vivian didn’t expect her
son to return.

Ever.

Unease burned the back of her throat. Could Vivian have sent
men to her home? The energy ratcheted higher, the calming pool of her core now a
ragging storm that threatened to consume everyone in its path.

“Really? He’s been an angel since he’s been with us. He must
have just needed a change of setting to feel at home.” Raven spied Durant
calmly walking through the crowd as if the people around him didn’t exist. The
paranormals scampered out of his way without a protest, and Raven breathed
easier when he came to stand at her side.

“Is there a problem?” Durant asked Vivian, but Raven could
tell the question was directed at her. He probed her battered shields, his touch
like static.

 “Everything is wonderful now that you’re here, handsome.
Why don’t you escort me to my table?” Charm oozed from Vivian’s pours. She
looped her hand around Durant’s elbow, the action crushing her breasts up against
his arm.

Sexual tension vibrated in the air, and Raven knew the bitch
was trying to influence Durant with more than just her body. Alphas were able
to control lesser shifters, the talent usually limited to their own pack. She
suspected that this was Vivian’s gift, and likely how she managed to snag Kevin
and get her way so often.

Raven detested the way her heart sped up at the contact
between them. It was none of her concern whom Durant dated. She waited for his
response, nearly ready to kick him the way his eyes trailed down the blonde’s
boney frame.

Jackson and Taggert stood, sensing the brewing trouble.

When those talons Vivian called nails came to rest on Durant’s
chest, Raven snapped. She allowed her power to slam into him, pleased at way he
grunted at the impact. Vivian instantly stepped back, holding her hand as if
singed.

Satisfied she’d proven her point, Raven withdrew her power.
But Durant was having none of it. What started as a threat, turned into a
caress as his cat bumped his big head up against her.

Those golden eyes of Durant’s lifted, zeroing in on her.
What caught her was the lust and playfulness in there depths. It dawned on her
then that he’d been messing with her. Furious that he would play games, she was
half-tempted to turn and leave.

The only thing that stopped her was the reminder that she
was his alpha. She was supposed to protect him.

“Hands off.” Raven turned to face Vivian. “He’s not available
for stud.”

Vivian’s calculating expression hardened. She smiled with
sharp teeth, gazing beyond them both. “Then I’ll just have to find someone else
to occupy me.”

Raven stiffened, not having to turn to know where her gaze
fell.

Vivian sauntered around them, her attitude all smug. She cuddled
up to Jackson’s chest. She reached up, one hand resting at the side of his
neck. They looked comfortable, that was if you ignored how her nails pierced
flesh and the trickle of blood soaking the collar of his shirt.

Jackson didn’t display any reaction, and Raven was horrified
to realize it was probably not the first time he heard the command.

Repugnance that a shifter was left with no choice curled her
lips. That they would compel others in such an intimate act.

Vivian must have seen the disgust, Raven made no attempt to
hide it, and her eyes darkened with outrage.

“You’re right, Vivian. Jackson’s not my pack. But he is on a
job appointed by his alpha. One he has neglected far too long.” Raven gave an
indifferent shrug. “You will excuse us. We must be going.”

 Chapter Fourteen

T
he
ride home was interminable, the awkward silences a suffocating presence in the
car. Taggert sat in the backseat, Jackson next to her in the passenger seat
after she’d wrestled the keys from him. Though she didn’t look at either, their
focus never once left her.

Durant followed them in his own car, never letting more than
three lengths between them. As she hit the country road, the lights from the
city faded, the moon a big globe in the sky.

The rays brushed against her like a warm caress until her
skin tightened. She stretched, bones snapped, and she tried to settle back into
her body. 

It didn’t work.

Her skin tingled with the ache to touch and be touched. She did
her best to contain it, gripping the steering wheel to prevent herself from
reaching for either man. She drove up to her house faster than necessary.

Tires skidded over rocks as she stopped and killed the car.
Without waiting for anyone to speak, Raven bolted toward the house. A shadow
parted from around the corner, darting toward her. She twisted and crouched, part
of her spoiling for a fight.

Dominic, in his wolf form, stepped into the light.
Disappointment struck, leaving all her pend up frustration over the evening to
churned in her chest, locked behind clenched teeth. With a sigh, she straightened
and reluctantly opened the door. The wolf darted into the house, but Raven
hesitated, her throat tightening at the thought of being confined. 

She shook off the feeling and swallowed hard. This was her
home.

So why was it so difficult to step across the threshold?

The three men lingered outside as if sensing her volatile
mood.

Hovering.

Plotting.

As she reached the top of the stairs, she heard the door
open behind her. Raven turned, uncertain if she wanted to find out what they’d
decided. All three men lifted their gaze toward her, each knowing where she
stood without having to search.

“Don’t.” She didn’t need more lectures.

She knew she screwed up.

“Raven—”

“No, Durant. Enough of this moon called bullshit. I did
things your way. It didn’t work.”

“How about we try things your way, then?” Taggert placed one
foot at the bottom of the stairs and peered up at her with soft, chocolate eyes
so filled with compassion that her throat ached.

“And what way is that?” Raven crossed her arms protectively
in front of her, refusing to apologize for the little flinch her words caused.

“You’re not used to the shifter lifestyle, so why don’t we
give the human way a try?”

Nonplused at the proposal, Raven just blankly stared at
them. She must have misunderstood. “What?”

Durant unbuttoned his cuffs, never once looking away from
her. “He means that there are three days until the full moon. On each of those
days, one of us will escort you—”

“I don’t need a bodyguard.”

Durant didn’t smile, didn’t do anything but waited for her
to quiet. “One of us will escort you around for the day. We’ll use that time to
get to know each other.”

“Like a date?” The last word emerged as a croak. She both
craved and feared what they were offering. She hated the desire growing between
them.

She wanted it to be her choice.

And despite what her mind thought it wanted, there was no
denying that each of them enticed her in different ways. She needed to get to
know them more, but feared the connections would only grow stronger.

How could she choose between them?

Maybe more importantly, did she want more?

Taggert smiled, a light to his eyes that had been missing
earlier. He was looking forward to spending time alone with her as well.
“Durant will escort you tomorrow since he’ll be busier the closer we draw to
the conclave. Jackson will be with you the next. That will give me time to make
plans for our day together. We can each give you pointers on what to expect at
the conclave since we’ve all been there in different rolls.”

Raven shivered at the warm invitation in his voice. She studied
each man, noticing the barely restrained emotions underneath. “What about my
case? I need to be at the station tomorrow and question the rogue.”

“We’ll be with you every step of your day, but we get your
undivided attention when you’re done.” Jackson spoke for the first time since
the club. The hardness was still there, but the fragileness she’d witnessed the
first time he stayed with her had returned twofold.

Like her answer meant everything to him.

“Do you agree?” Durant’s brisk tone made her jump.

“I—” She cleared her throat then pushed past the sudden
burst of nerves. “I’d like that.”

Without another word, she hurried away. Excitement and dread
chased her as if they were hounds from hell nipping at her heels. Going out with
them as her protectors was antiquated. She thought their overprotectiveness
would make her feel weak, so it took her by surprise to realize that she felt
cherished.

Getting to know them better was wrong. Those who got close
to her always suffered, but the selfish part of her wouldn’t allow her to turn
down this opportunity.

Once inside her room, the walls closed in on her. Dominic
entered behind her, concern in his gaze. He claimed a spot by the balcony,
circled and promptly sat, waiting for her to settle.

Needing fresh air, Raven swung opened the doors. “I don’t
think I understood what I was asking of you when I suggested you stay. If I’m
already affected this much and it’s not even the full moon yet, I’m not sure
how I’ll ever manage to survive the conclave, much less convince them that I
deserve my own pack.”

As she walked onto the balcony, a movement near the tree
line caught her gaze. Hardly daring to breathe least she draw attention to
herself, she waited. Three minutes and counting passed when she saw a familiar
form skim low along the ground, the shape nothing more than a shadow.

“That shit.”

Griffin was sulking around the property, his shape almost
indiscernible from his surroundings. If she hadn’t been staring off into space,
she would never have seen him. Worse, he looked like he knew where he was
heading, no hesitation in his movements.

Dominic edged forward and peered in the same location, his
fur standing on end.

“What do you say about us doing a little hunting?”

Dominic glanced back at her from over his shoulders and
tilted his head as if considering what she asked. It was uncanny to see such
intelligence through an animal’s expression. He placed a paw on the railing
then leapt over.

Raven quickly followed suit. By the time she’d landed, Dominic
was hugging the shadows, halfway toward the tree line. She followed swiftly,
but both forms had vanished.

Following instinct, she ran through the forest. It was
easier than last time, her footsteps surer, more comfortable in her body. Not
wanting to lose Griffin, she pushed for a burst of speed.

And almost stumbled when the grace of her wolf answered. The
joy of the run so distracted her that it wasn’t until a man appeared in the
path that she registered his presence.

Griffin.

Then it was too late.

He must have realized the danger at the same time. He
sidestepped, and she twisted to avoid him. Their shoulders hit with enough force
to knock the air from her lungs. She twisted and skidded to a stop, barely
managing to remain on her feet.

“Hello, Griffin. Fancy meeting you here. Just out for a
stroll?” Raven straightened, but didn’t let down her guard. Not until she discovered
the truth.

“I’m out for a tryst with my lady friend.” He shrugged,
completely unconcerned. “You’re welcome to join us.”

His story was plausible, but didn’t ring true. “Sure, why
not.”

The smile dropped from his face. “You can’t stay.”

“I can’t stay on my own property?”

“You need to mind your own business.” He took a step toward
her, and she quickly backed away. No way was she getting within touching
distance.

Before either could break the standoff, a howl split the
air. Answering yips followed, and Griffin swore. “You need to do exactly as I
say. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And no matter what, don’t leave my side.”

The urgency in his voice slapped her in the face. For the
first time, she realized she might have misjudged him, and she wondered what
her foolishness would cost them both.

“Don’t look at any of them in the eyes. Don’t offer
confrontation of any kind.”

Raven gritted her teeth, the muscles of her legs twitching
to run as she fought the instinct of self-preservation. In a blurred move, he
clamped his hand on her arm.

“You run and we’re both dead.” He got up in her face,
demanding she obey. “Do you understand me?”

“Yes.” She would not be prey.

Griffin slowly loosened his hold. “Cover your scent as much
as possible. It would be bad if they find out you’re a wolf, worse if they
discover you’re an alpha. There will be nothing I can do that will save you
then.”

“My scent?”

“Don’t play the fool now, not when I’ve seen you do it. Hurry
before they close in on us.”

That meant he’d either been paying more attention to them than
anybody knew or he’d been spying on them for a lot longer. She wouldn’t put
either past him.

She might not trust him completely, but she didn’t doubt his
assessment of the situation. She tried to force her wolf to retreat, but the
beast growled and snapped in protest.

She was alpha.

She wouldn’t run or hide from rogues.

“Hurry.”

Some of his urgency spilled over onto her. Without giving
herself a chance to hesitate, she grabbed a string of power and wrapped it
around herself.

And groaned when the cords of pure energy tightened like she’d
tangled with barbed wire. Metal knots bit into her skin like burs, burrowing
deeper with each breath.

She was going to overload.

Power tore beneath her skin. The energy scraped the marrow
of her bones clean then replaced it with ground glass, the agony nearly
dropping her to her knees.

“Raven! Snap out of it.”

A blow struck her across the face. The jolt snapped her out
of the sea of pain that had swallowed her. He had gotten what he wanted. Her
wolf was gone, taking half her soul with it.

“They’re coming.”

“Who?” She gritted her teeth to stop shaking.

“Rogues.”

“Friends of yours?” Either way he answered, Raven was
screwed. She toned down the juice to a breathable level and scanned their
surroundings. She sensed them out there, drawing nearer. As long as no one got
too close, she should be able to contain everything.

He gave her a look she couldn’t decipher. “No.”

Then there was no more talking as people poured into the
small clearing. And in people, she meant at least a dozen or more men of
varying sizes. They were a rangy lot, more than half of them not looking sane
enough to be allowed out in public.

Their wildness buffeted her. She would never have been able
to control her wolf around so many.

They maintained their distance, but she had a suspicion it
was more out of fear of Griffin and the way he stood in front of her than any show
of respect. They eyed her, their animal parts to the fore, all but licking
their lips to catch her scent.

“What have you brought us? A gift?” A brute of a man swaggered
forward, leering at her, his gaze never lifting above her breasts.

Griffin didn’t smile, didn’t move. “She’s off limits.”

The man snorted and groped for her. “You can’t bring
something like her and not expect to share.”

Raven listened to Griffin's advice, restraining herself from
acting and tearing this man apart. Fetid breath wafted toward her, pudgy little
fingers wiggled at her face.

Then Griffin was there. He grabbed the man’s wrist and
twisted. Bone snapped. The man screamed in agony. Griffin spun and knocked the
feet out from under the brute, slamming him into the ground with a heavy thump.
The scream cut off abruptly, the air knocked clear out of him.